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A new game based on the Japanese PopoloCrois Story comic book series, and a new entry in the wildly successful Bokujo Monogatari farming and life simulation series, now known as Story of Seasons in the West, Return to PoPoLoCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale features both classically-styled turn-based combat and towns full of lively and interesting NPCs who contribute to a heartwarming narrative about friendship, forgiveness and the bounty of the earth that veterans and newcomers alike to either franchise can enjoy equally. Ample farming and life simulation elements are also on offer in this comprehensive crossover, including real-time crop-raising, bug-catching, rock-quarrying, item synthesis, and relationship forging. Players can collect over 600 items and undertake nearly 100 quests throughout the game, supplementing its 25+ hour main story with nearly unlimited potential for replayability. StreetPass features are also present, allowing players to connect with one another and earn bonus items through treasure-hunting.

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The title is slated for release in Winter 2015 on Nintendo 3DS, and will be making an appearance at E3 this year.

I wonder how this will stack up to the now dead Rune Factory series. More importantly, I wonder if the frame rate on this game will be more stable than the first Story of Seasons game on the 3DS. From what I understand, the frame rate got better on the N3DS, but if you're going to release a game on the 3DS, it should run at a stable framerate on the base system. It shows an extreme lack of care when you release a game on a system without properly testing and optimizing it (PC gamers have been burned enough times to know this well).

I wonder how this will stack up to the now dead Rune Factory series. More importantly, I wonder if the frame rate on this game will be more stable than the first Story of Seasons game on the 3DS. From what I understand, the frame rate got better on the N3DS, but if you're going to release a game on the 3DS, it should run at a stable framerate on the base system. It shows an extreme lack of care when you release a game on a system without properly testing and optimizing it (PC gamers have been burned enough times to know this well).

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So many changes happening with Harvest Moon and Rune Factory. I haven't gotten into any of them. Which series do i start and what are the best games for both of them? Do the games stories connect?

So many changes happening with Harvest Moon and Rune Factory. I haven't gotten into any of them. Which series do i start and what are the best games for both of them? Do the games stories connect?

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Okay, a quick lesson:
Prior to the most recent games, there was only Harvest Moon here in the West. That was because Natsume was still just Natsume, whereas these days it's whatever is left of Natsume and a different company. If I recall correctly, Rune Factory is made by a totally different developer that went under for good and apparently the Rune Factory series went with them.

Basically though, none of the games are related. Pick up whichever one you want and have a go. I'd probably recommend the GBA title Friends of Mineral Town, or the variant More Friends of Mineral Town if you want to chase men as a woman, for a simple although not lacking in challenge introduction to the Harvest Moon series. I don't even like the series much, and I had some fun with this one. Harvest Moon is a straight up farm and waifu simulator with some mining and such mixed in, so don't go in expecting an amazing adventure. If you enjoy something like Animal Crossing, Harvest Moon may be up your alley in that that they're both similar seeing as both are essentially life simulators. That's not to say they are the same, rather, they just fall within different offsets of the same base genre.

Rune Factory is a mix that combines RPG gameplay with the farming aspects of Harvest Moon. This tends to be a preferred series here on the forum, although I think it managed to be more niche than Harvest Moon somehow. This is probably the most friendly series to try if you find regular Harvest Moon to be a little too dry. Once again, no real order, just pick one and have at it. Everyone has their favorites in the series, so you're better off just picking one at random, really. They all have their faults, but they're ultimately well rounded experiences.

Okay, now, this is where it might get confusing:
Story of Seasons is basically a continuation of Harvest Moon, whereas Harvest Moon now just holds the title but is sort of its own thing. The split is fairly recent all in all, but the most prominent way you can see it is the most recent releases from these two series. The latest Harvest Moon is Lost Valley and is an awful pile of suck that hardly resembles the series it takes the name from. There is only one Story of Seasons game, totally independent from this upcoming title, but unless you have an N3DS, it's probably worth passing on due to frame rate issues hampering the experience. There are a couple Harvest Moon games on the 3DS pre-split, but they are lackluster compared to earlier titles.

People commonly say the best Harvest Moon games are the ones from SNES and N64, but I feel nostalgia factors in a bit there, so it's really up to you whether or not you want to start with either of them.

I know it's made by the guys who made Rune Factory but TBH, sure the graphics might be better, sure the story might be better, sure the mechanics might be better, but I find it lacking on SOMETHING Rune Factory has.

Rune Factory is a mix that combines RPG gameplay with the farming aspects of Harvest Moon. This tends to be a preferred series here on the forum, although I think it managed to be more niche than Harvest Moon somehow. This is probably the most friendly series to try if you find regular Harvest Moon to be a little too dry. Once again, no real order, just pick one and have at it. Everyone has their favorites in the series, so you're better off just picking one at random, really. They all have their faults, but they're ultimately well rounded experiences.

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It true Rune Factory game don't need to play in any order but it always recommend for newcomer to play the older game first.

This isn't because story but because each game in the series (not counting console game) is always go overboard with gameplay improvement so it harder to enjoy older game once you used to play newer game.

It hard to find a series which have that much improvement over each installment like Rune Factory, too bad the series took too long to get notice so by the time the game get popular, the developer was already gone.

I know it's made by the guys who made Rune Factory but TBH, sure the graphics might be better, sure the story might be better, sure the mechanics might be better, but I find it lacking on SOMETHING Rune Factory has.

It could be nostalgia, but I doubt it.

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The game is not trying to be Rune Factory. Its just how the title says, its Harvest Moon + Popolocrois. Both of the game came out in the 90s so they didn't copy/aren't copying anyone.
It doesn't even look slightly like Rune Factory.

I wonder if the frame rate on this game will be more stable than the first Story of Seasons game on the 3DS. From what I understand, the frame rate got better on the N3DS, but if you're going to release a game on the 3DS, it should run at a stable framerate on the base system.

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I played a bunch of Story of Seasons on a regular 3DS and I never had any framerate problems. This is the first I've heard of it. I did play on a Gateway, not a retail cart. Maybe it somehow runs better on the gateway?

I played a bunch of Story of Seasons on a regular 3DS and I never had any framerate problems. This is the first I've heard of it. I did play on a Gateway, not a retail cart. Maybe it somehow runs better on the gateway?

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Odd. Basically every user review you'll find on places like metacritic mention pretty noticeable issues as far as frame rate is concerned on an O3DS. They seem to generally like the experience despite them, but maybe there was some factor based on how you played it or installed it or otherwise that helped alleviate some of the reason why the drops occurred.